People enjoy drinking cold and hot beverages at all times, and especially while on the go. Coffee, tea, and other hot drinks of all types are very popular all year around. Children and babies enjoy cold or hot milk, often with a chocolate or other flavor added. In the morning, hot drinks such as coffee, are preferred by many adults.
In order to have this coffee for the morning commute, a person either has to be up early to prepare the coffee in his home, or prepare it the night before and keep it hot in a thermos type container. As society becomes increasingly mobile, the morning routine is disturbed and a person either goes without a morning drink or must wait until he or she is at school or work to prepare a favorite beverage for him or herself, if there is time. Hot instant teas and soups require heating facilities, whether at the office or at home and cannot easily be prepared while in a car. Thermos bottles filled with coffee prepared from the night before may supply the needs of some people for a drink, but such coffee is usually not very hot and not as tasty as when freshly brewed.
As the sophistication for coffee increases, people now enjoy more sophisticated coffee drinks as their morning coffee, such as espressos, and other espresso-based drinks, such as lattes, cappuccinos, and the like. Espresso must be consumed while fresh, and at high temperatures, to preserve the quality and taste. Accordingly, preparation of an espresso or espresso-based drink before the morning commute or other automobile trip, typically requires additional preparation time, that people may not have if they are pressed for time. Additionally, in many areas, there may not be any outlets for purchasing an espresso or espresso-based drink to be enjoyed at rest-stops along the way. Finally, even if an espresso or espresso-based drink can be purchased on the road, it may be of low quality, stale, and in a disposable cup that cannot preserve the high heat required to keep the drink hot and tasty.
Although many cold drinks are on the market, they generally have the disadvantage of requiring refrigeration to maintain their cool temperature. Until use, many drinks must be kept in a refrigerator. Furthermore, if the drinks are already mixed, their shelf-life is limited. Many cold drinks and mixes are packaged in containers that do not allow people on the go to add ingredients, such as sweeteners or flavors, to suit the individual taste of the consumer. Disposal of commonly used drink containers, such as bottles, metal cans, and even plastic, is often complicated when traveling by the need to find a recycling bin or a place to claim a refund on a deposit. Usually, discouraged consumers will simply throw away the container, hopefully in a waste receptacle, but not always. If some residue of the drink remains in the container, it can cause unnecessary and unsightly environmental and sanitation problems by spilling-over and attracting insects and rodents.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a broad choice of prepared beverages, both cold and hot, which are freshly made, at reasonable cost, and with minimum effort, according to taste and preference of the consumer.